Citation-Gies, Lieve. ā€œFreedom in Times of Pandemic: Chinese International Studentsā€™ Readings of Human Rights Criticism During the UKā€™s First COVID-19 Lockdown.ā€ Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, vol. 15, no. 4, 2023, p. 70ā€“, https://doi.org/10.32674/jcihe.v15i4.5203

Summary :Chinese international students studying in the United Kingdom perceive human rights principles. The primary research method involved conducting semi-structured interviews to explore the participants’ views on human rights, particularly in the context of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that while participants had conflicting views on the subject, most sought to legitimize China’s human rights record, echoing Stanley Cohen’s study on human rights denial.identified various barriers to acknowledging China’s human rights violations, including participants’ mistrust of foreign media reports, their reevaluation of their circumstances during the pandemic, and their limited exposure to human rights abuses. These findings underscored the need for an inclusive pedagogy that accommodates the diverse perspectives of Chinese international students regarding human rights criticism directed at China.Chinese international students face in understanding Western human rights doctrine, as such principles are rarely discussed in Chinese higher education. The project’s rationale was to find ways to better engage this student population in human rights education within UK higher education, where the emphasis is often on individual liberties as protected by human rights.

Reflection :Chinese international students in the UK understand human rights principles provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of human rights awareness and perception. It is clear that these students grapple with conflicting views and a tendency to legitimize China’s human rights record, which mirrors Stanley Cohen’s work on human rights denial. However, it’s crucial to distinguish between state actors’ denial and citizen denial, as the participants’ perspectives are influenced by factors such as distrust of foreign media, their pandemic experiences, and limited exposure to human rights abuse.human rights criticism targeted at China. It’s evident that Chinese international students may struggle to understand Western human rights doctrine due to its absence in Chinese higher education. The project’s rationale to better engage this student population in human rights education is essential, particularly in a UK higher education system that emphasizes human rights as a safeguard against undue state interference with individual liberty.

Quotations-“Chinese international students studying in the United Kingdom (UK) may struggle to recognize the significance of Western human rights doctrine and understand its practical application because relevant principles remain unmentionable in Chinese higher education itself.” (Tseng, 2017)